Bears Go into the Jungle to Face Bengals

Both the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals will be looking to rebound from disappointing loses when then meet this coming Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

Chicago fans are hoping that Jay Cutler’s recent contract extension will lift his spirits, as well as his play on the field, after last week’s meltdown in Atlanta. Matt Forte is also hoping for a better outcome from this game, and should get that since the Bengals’ run defense is giving up an average of 96.8 yards per game. Forte’s success on the ground will also be dictated by the performance of the offensive line, which hasn’t played consistently well this season. But a former Bear on the Cincinnati defensive line, Tank Johnson, will defiantly make sure that Chicago’s running game stays at a standstill.

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Johnson isn’t the only ex-Bear participating in this week’s game. Chicago’s 2005 first-round NFL Draft pick, Cedric Benson, will be looking to show what the Bears missed out on when they released him prior to the start of the 2008 season. Benson is third in the league thus far this season in rushing with 531 yards and four touchdowns, and will be a great test for Chicago’s run defense, which is ranked sixth in the NFL. But unfortunately, the Bears’ defense will have to do it without linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, who re-aggravated a knee injury from Week 1, and will be out for the remainder of the season. Not only will Tinoisamoa be out, but also there is a strong possibility that defensive tackle Tommie Harris will be sidelined with a knee injury. With the uncertainty of Harris’ status, Marcus Harrison and Anthony Adams will have to step up and fill the void left by the Pro Bowler. In addition, newly acquired defensive end Gaines Adams will more than likely make his debut in a Bears uniform. In the secondary, all eyes will be on Charles Tillman, who will have the assignment of covering Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco, who is sixth in the league in receiving yards with 455.

This game is much needed for both teams, especially for the Chicago Bears. They can easily find themselves falling into a deeper hole in the NFC North if they don’t come away with a win, which can result in playing catch-up for the remainder of the season with the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings playing extremely well in the early part of the season.

By Clyde Speller
ProFootball-fans.com Chicago Bears Correspondent